Love and Coffee
by 16-story-of-my-life-16
Summary: Set in a college AU, Kisame Hoshigaki meets the love of his life in the rather unusual way of knocking her coffee out of her hands. What happens next is the story of how the son of a business man falls in love with a girl who has absolutely no idea who he is. Sachiko Nekozawa stood in our fated coffee shop having been stood up on a date. Fate works in mysterious ways.
1. First Encounters

Monday, January 11th 2016

1:30 PM

Kisame Hoshigaki really was a patient person. Truly, he was. However, if he had to wait five more minutes for the smarmy younger brother of his roommate to get his skinny ass to the café he told Itachi he'd meet him at, he was going to seriously blow a gasket. Itachi was busy shadowing his father and had asked him to deliver the things his brother had (purposely) left at their home the night before. Kisame had much better things to do than wait for Sasuke fucking Uchiha to come get his stupid kendo gear, such as study for his review testing. Kisame had worked his ass off to get the grades needed to be accepted into his graduate program and Sasuke's brother complex was not going to ruin it for him. Said little bastard was opening the door just as the red cloud of anger was beginning to settle over his brain.

The disgruntled Uchiha didn't so much as say "thank you" before grabbing his bag and making his way out. Sasuke was obviously upset that his beloved aniki didn't meet him and all manner of politeness had left him. Kisame shrugged, it wasn't his problem anymore. He knew he couldn't go home worked up as he was, he'd end up taking his aggression out on Itachi, and while the normally stoic man gave as good as he got, Kisame didn't feel right taking his anger at Sasuke out on his roommate. Resigning himself to the knowledge that he'd be taking a couple of laps in the pool to calm himself before making his way home, he turned to go, subsequently bumping into someone and knocking their drink from their hands. Kisame grunted. This was shaping up to be a clusterfuck of a day and it was only one thirty in the afternoon. He turned to confront the person who bumped into him, refusing to acknowledge bumping them; his day was bad enough as it was.

"I'm so sorry!" a sweet, clearly upset voice spoke out from below him. He looked down to see curly blonde hair spilling down the back of a rather short girl. Well, Kisame was six foot four, so almost everyone was short to him. Said girl, no, young woman stood back up, holding her mostly empty coffee cup and looked up at him with the prettiest eyes he had ever seen. He couldn't tell if they were blue or gray, but they were his new favorite color. She couldn't have been taller than five foot five, five foot seven at the tallest. Call him a sap, but damn she was beautiful. A moment passed and Kisame waited for that calculating glint to cast itself over her features. It was a look he had become very accustomed to once it was announced that he was his father's successor. Mist Inc. was a very successful importing and exporting company that worked with several other high status corporations, Uchiha Enterprises being one of them. He had become used to women wanting to use him for his wealth and status. Kisame was rather apt at reading people, and when another moment passed and the woman's features never strayed from being embarrassed, upset and concerned he knew she had truly no idea who he was.

"Thank goodness it was iced! Are you alright? You didn't get any on you, did you?" His feet were freezing and wet in his sandals, and the poor little thing looked like she was going to cry. Kisame grabbed napkins and started to clean up the mess at their feet while signaling the guy behind the counter that there was a spill. Her white tennis shoes had coffee on them, but other than that she looked unmarred.

"No, I'm sorry. I didn't see you." He grumbled as a barista came over with a mop and bucket. Kisame put a hand to her lower back and gently steered her to the rest room so that they could both clean up. As he washed his shoes in the sink he couldn't help but ponder the situation. There was a very pretty girl who had no idea who he was at Konoha University. From this he gathered that he was older than her, and that she wasn't interested in business or the sports of their prestigious university. Once he stepped out of the restroom he scanned the room but didn't see her. Of course she'd left; a sweet looking thing like her was probably terrified of his gruff stature. He stood to leave, even more pissed off than before when he felt a small tug on the back of his shirt. He whirled, ready to snap, only to stop short as the young women from before bowed to him in apology.

"I'm very sorry for spilling coffee on you" her bow was neat, almost perfect. His mother would be proud of a bow like that, always saying the youth of today had no manners. Now he really felt bad, he had bumped her after all.

"No, I'm sorry for not looking where I was going" he bowed his own apology. Needing to right his wrong, he continued. "Please allow me to replace the coffee I spilled." He could see her hesitate.

"There really is no need, I was just leaving" she still looked upset and he couldn't help but try again.

"I'm at fault, I bumped you. Please, that coffee looked full and I would like to replace it." He could see her giving in and led her to the counter, being careful not to crowd her. "I'd like a large black coffee, two sugars and for the lady… " He looked down at her and was met with a tentative smile.

"A small iced caramel latte, please". Kisame frowned down at her; the drink he had knocked from her hands had been a large. The cashier, seeing his frown looked back and forth between them unsure what to put and not wanting to make Kisame angry.

"A large iced caramel latte for the lady, exactly the way she had asked for it before". The young man flushed and fumbled with a few slips at the sight of Kisame's glare, clearly impatient.

"A-a large iced caramel latte, with extra caramel, w-whipped cream, and a caramel drizzle…sir" the cashier looked like he was going to piss his pants.

"A large black coffee with two sugars, a large iced caramel latte with extra caramel, whipped cream and caramel drizzle and two cromuffins". Kisame couldn't help a small smirk; it seemed the little lady had a sweet tooth. He watched the cashier visibly calm down.

"Names for the drinks please?"

"Kisame for the black coffee, and…" he trailed off, realizing he didn't know her name.

"Sachiko. Um, could you use skim milk in the latte, please?" She mumbled, still embarrassed and not wanting to cause a hassle. Sachiko, that was a pretty name, he couldn't help but think it suited her.

"Yes miss. That will be $12.40 please. Thank you for choosing Starbucks." It was clear he'd be happy to see the back of them. Kisame spotted an empty table and pointed it out to her. She gave a shy nod and made her way over while a man behind the counter handed him the cromuffins. As he walked to her he noticed she still looked upset and gave a frustrated sigh, he was going to have to ask what was wrong so he could fix it.

"Not to be forward, but is something bothering you?" he regretted asking as soon as the words came out of his mouth. Her shy smile dropped and was quickly replaced with a look of embarrassment. He well and truly felt like an idiot. He placed her pastry in front of her.

"Thank you. I'm fine, thank you for asking" she spoke to her cromuffin as she began to pick it apart.

"No, you aren't. Tell me." His voice took on that gruffness it did when he was annoyed.

"It's silly, really nothing , don't worry a-" she stopped speaking when she saw the look on his face screamed that he wasn't going to let the matter drop and she did spill coffee all over him. Resigned, Sachiko looked at the table and muttered "my date stood me up". Kisame was gob smacked. Someone was actually stupid enough to stand her up? Before he could say anything their names were called and he stood before her. He grabbed their drinks and returned to their table. Walking back he took another look at her. She was gorgeous and not in the vein sense that she spent a lot of time on how she looked. Her makeup, if she was even wearing any was light and natural looking, her outfit wasn't casual, but not formal and she was well mannered, why would anyone stand her up? Handing her the cup of more sugar than beverage, he considered his words carefully.

"Well, his loss is my gain." Her head snapped up and he sent her a toothy grin. "I'm Kisame Hoshigaki". The shy smile was back, lighting up her face and he got a peek at some rather cute dimples. Yes, this was his gain indeed.

"Sachiko Nekozawa, it's nice to meet you". She smiled wider, a bit of that shyness melting away to reveal a face that was so open and honest he could tell that she was actually happy to meet him. With that, they really hit it off and he was shocked to find that baby faced Sachiko was actually a third year undergrad in information technologies as well as political science. He wasn't prepared for her questioning him though; too used to the women he associated with wanting to know more of his bank account and less of the man holding the checkbook. He'd never actually been that good at talking to girls that weren't after him for the wrong reasons. "What is your major Kisame-sempai?"

"I'm in the Marine Biology graduate program here". As soon as he finished speaking it was like the sun was called by her smile. God he was a sap but her smile was infectious. It was another point in her favor that she didn't cringe when he smiled in return. He knew he wasn't classically handsome like Itachi, but he wasn't too bad looking.

"How cool! You must be so excited for the new aquarium then! I read they're even going to have penguins and dolphins and many exotic fish exhibits and some interactive ones too!" Sachiko blushed when she realized she was babbling. It was most becoming on her.

"I'm looking forward to it; I have a particular interest in the sharks that will be on exhibit" that sounded rougher than he'd intended but she didn't seem too phased as they continued to sit and chat. He was about to pull his head out of his ass and ask her on a date when her phone chimed. He heard her murmured "excuse me" as she checked her screen for the first time in their entire conversation. Her eyes widened and shocked and Kisame felt his heart drop into his stomach. This was it, her date was probably on his way and he would be just a guy who bumped into her one day.

"Is that the time?! I'm so sorry Kisame-sempai, I have to go!" she sent him a regretful look. Yep, he knew it. "Its 4:30 and I have a class in fifteen minutes and it's across campus." Sachiko explained quickly as she gathered her things and swept her trash up to throw away. She wasn't ditching him for another guy, but for class, perhaps there was hope.

"Kisame" at her look of bewilderment he continued. "I want you to call me Kisame, there's no need for the sempai". She blushed and he knew he was being way too forward but he couldn't help himself. "Sachiko-san, please consider accompanying me to the aquarium." He rubbed the back of his neck, nervous and afraid of rejection. Kisame did not put himself out there. He was captain of the swim team, females came to him and he knew what to expect from them most of the time. There was just something about her and none of the girls he had met before had ever made an impression like her. He didn't like talking to people, yet had sat and conversed with Sachiko for almost three hours. She grabbed a napkin, wrote something down, and gave him that megawatt smile.

"It's a date" she blushed, not sure if that was what he meant.

"Yes" it came out low but she heard him just fine.

"Call me? Or texting is fine too! I really need to go or I'll be late. See you Kisame-sem" she paused. "See you, Kisame." with that she was out the door and walking hurriedly to her class. He watched her until she was out of sight before looking down at the napkin she had slid in front of him. In neat, feminine handwriting was her name and phone number. Wanting to be sure it was her, he pulled out his phone and sent a quick text, it wouldn't be the first time he'd gotten a fake number.

 **[Kisame] Sachiko? This is Kisame.**

 **[Sachiko] Hello! Yes, this is Sachiko.**

He saved her number.

 **[Kisame] Would this Saturday work for you?**

 **[Sachiko] I thought the aquarium didn't open until next week?**

Shit. How was he supposed to explain that they could go Saturday without revealing that his father's company was one of the main sponsors of the aquarium? Think fish for brains, think, think, think.

 **[Kisame] I know some of the people who work there and they can get us in for a tour.**

Technically he wasn't lying to her. His father bank rolled their pay checks and they wouldn't deny him. Kisame usually didn't like to exploit his connections, unlike some of his friends. Deidara, Sasori, Hidan and that whelp Sasuke often exploited their parent's reputations to get their way. They wouldn't know hard work if it bit them in the ass.

 **[Sachiko] As long as they don't get in trouble…**

 **[Kisame] I'll double check, but I'm sure it will be fine.**

 **[Sachiko] sounds great! Got to go, class is about to start. Talk to you later Kisame!**

Kisame smiled down at his phone before standing up and throwing his trash away. Well, this was certainly not how he thought his day was going to go. Instead of feeling the need to work off some steam at the pool, he'd rather go home. He wasn't angry anymore. As a matter of fact, Kisame was more in a happy daze than anything else as he drove to Uchiha District, the apartment complex where he and Itachi lived.

Sometimes the pros outweighed the cons of being Itachi's best friend. That's what they'd been since they were in diapers; forced on playdates as their fathers made business deals. It worked out for both of them though. Itachi got a confidant and Kisame a friend whom he knew would always have his back. Honestly, out of all the sons of his father's business partners, Itachi was the only one that Kisame could stand. Kisame only had a small group of people he considered tolerable, let alone friends. Two of those people were his cousins and on the Konoha Swim Team with him. Due to his best friend status, he and Itachi shared an apartment owned by the Uchiha family. Itachi's mother hadn't wanted him to live alone, it was close to the university they both went to, and as it was family owned they got to live there free of charge. They didn't pay for housing or utilities, and Itachi didn't care about Kisame keeping fish tanks in their shared living spaces. They really didn't argue about anything, the only thing that really pissed Itachi off is if Kisame ate his dango and leaving the dango alone was a lesson Kisame had learned years ago. That's not to say Kisame was a bad roommate either, if you asked him he'd say he was a pretty good one. He cleaned up after himself; made sure Itachi did human things (such as eat and sleep) and often did the cooking because heaven knows that Itachi Uchiha did NOT get his mother's cooking ability. To this day Kisame still doesn't know how Itachi set fire to a pot of water.

Unlocking the door to his and Itachi's apartment, Kisame called a quick greeting before removing his shoes. He was about to hang his swim jacket on the peg by the door only to notice two extra pairs of shoes, and an obnoxious black and red blazer on his peg. Great. Deidara and Sasori were here. You never had one without the other unfortunately. Kisame would not let this ruin his good mood. He had a date with a very pretty girl this weekend who liked marine life and him apparently.

"Hey, Fish Face, you're home, yeah!" Deidara was on track for ruining the good mood. Just take a deep breath Kisame, deep breaths. Kisame studiously ignored Deidara before walking into the kitchen, grabbing a pen and circling this coming Saturday on the calendar. Itachi looked up from the kitchen table where he was drinking tea with Sasori at Deidara's next outburst. "What's the sixteenth, un? They finally going to release your ugly ass back into the ocean?"

"I have a date." Kisame tried not to sound smug.

"WHAT?! Deidara screeched indignantly. It was no secret he'd been single for a few weeks now.

"What?" Sasori sounded surprised, but not nearly as offensive as Deidara.

"Hn" Itachi replied in true Uchiha fashion.

"I have a date, with a girl who has no idea who I am." Kisame clarified for Itachi's sake, the other two could go to hell for all he cared. "How do you date a girl who thinks you're just a normal guy?"

"Easy, don't be you, yeah. Don't talk about fish or any of that weird stuff your into, un." Of course Deidara would be the one to answer him. Sometimes Kisame just wanted to stuff his mouth with the clay that Deidara loved so much, maybe then he'd learn to keep it shut.

"She likes marine life; we're going to check some out on Saturday." There was no way he was telling them where exactly they were going. Deidara would follow them and try to sabotage the date just to be an ass.

"Hn. Just be yourself Kisame. She liked you enough to agree to the date." Leave it to Itachi to be the voice of reason.

"Hey Danna. Two hundred says she dumps him in the first three weeks. Yeah. "Deidara had one of his stupid shit eating grins as he looked to his own best friend, the bastard. Kisame cursed them both when Sasori nodded in agreement to the bet. They could both go to hell; and take Sasori creepy dolls with them while they were at it. Those things gave him the willies.

Kisame stomped out of the kitchen to his bedroom, ready to crack open his books. Without even thinking he sent Sachiko a text telling her that he hoped her class was going well before he got a jump on the homework due Wednesday. He missed the days of undergrad at times like this, homework sucked. What he thought was going to be quick text to his surprise turned into a back and forth conversation, which then led to them texting all night and Kisame getting his homework done much later than normal.

His cheeks hurt from smiling so much.


	2. First Date

Saturday January 16th, 2016

9:00 AM

Sachiko could not remember the last time she had been this excited for a date. She and Kisame had agreed to meet at the aquarium at eleven and she had changed her outfit four times since waking up. She hummed softly to the radio while fixing her hair and Sachiko couldn't help but think back on the last week. To her surprise she and Kisame had continued to text almost every day, and he had even asked the name of the upperclassmen that had stood her up originally. Not that Sachiko would have told him, while she was mad at Kakuzu; she wasn't the type of person to cause drama. Thinking of Kakuzu only served to bring their last encounter to mind.

 _Sachiko had been walking to the dining hall Wednesday for lunch when Kakuzu Kuchisake, the very man who stood her up on Monday, began walking beside her. He grunted in an attempt to gain her full attention. Still angry, she ignored him and continued on her way._

 _"I apologize for not meeting you; I noticed some discrepancies with my bank account." Kakuzu gave a brief explanation as they continued walking._

 _"I'm sorry to hear that! Was it a large amount?" Sachiko was shocked, she couldn't be angry at him for trying to sort out his bank account. Kakuzu nodded._

 _"Yes, $3.24 was missing from my account, but it's been straightened out. If you'd still like to treat me to that coffee, I'm free now."_

 _"Excuse me?" Sachiko was flabbergasted. Not only was her time worth less than five dollars, but he seriously thought she was going to take him out?_

 _"I had asked you if you'd like to get coffee after it was made clear to me that you were attracted to me, as such, you may take me to coffee." So her time was both worth less than five dollars, and he wasn't attracted to her in the first place. Sachiko didn't have much of an ego to begin with, but that just about killed whatever was there. Her phone buzzed just as tears were beginning to prickle in her eyes. Taking a quick look at the screen in order to compose herself, her heart gave a flutter. Kisame had texted her….a picture of a cupcake._

 **[Kisame] Bistro has good desserts today.**

 _She and Kisame had been texting back and forth since Monday and she had never been quite so besotted. Sachiko smiled before looking back up._

 _"I'm sorry Kuchisake-san, but I've been invited on a date and cannot in good conscience go out with you." She began to walk away, ready to go grab one of those delicious looking cupcakes when that little gremlin of anger reared her head. Who was he to treat her like that? She turned her head and said as casually as she could, "He even paid for my coffee when you were a no show"._

From there the week had both flown by and seemed to drag on forever. She and Kisame had texted back and forth, but hadn't been able to meet up again before their date. Her little interaction with Kakuzu meant missing Kisame at the popular dining hall on Campus called The Bistro, but she sent her own picture of a cupcake back to him with a smiley face and the explanation that maple was her favorite. From there they exchanged pictures of their everyday lives. Sachiko sent a photo of the snowman she and her friends made in reply to his of all his homework and was all smiles when he said that they should make one together sometime.

As she contemplated her outfit of soft white jeans and flowy seafoam top the door opened.

"Wow! You must really like this guy." Tenten announced as she came in and set her gym bag on the floor at the end of her bed. Tenten knew that Sachiko liked Kisame as he was about the only thing she talked about all week.

"Do I look okay? We agreed to meet at eleven so I need to catch the shuttle soon." Sachiko mumbled as she fussed and began to gather her things.

"You look so good that Gai-sensei would burst into tears of youth at the sight of you". Tenten assured her. "Lee and I are going out too, are you sure you don't want us to drop you off?" she questioned as she watched Sachiko dance around their room. This guy better live up to all the good things Tenten had been hearing about him. Tenten asked around the gym and got nothing but glowing reviews on how great of a guy Kisame was, which was a relief when you consider the kind of world he came from. A world that Sachiko obviously didn't know a thing about, and Tenten didn't blame Kisame for not telling her either; she had seen firsthand what Neji went through as member of the "oh so prestigious" Hyuga family. Not to be overprotective, but Sachiko didn't date much and was still pretty naïve when it came to guys. Tenten would never let anything happen to her. She'd rather see Sachiko with Kisame over Kakuzu any day of the week and honestly had no idea what she had seen in him in the first place.

"No, thanks though! I don't want to mess with your guys' plans. What do you think, this one or this one?" Sachiko questioned as she held up two bathing suits, one black and one purple but both one piece suits with skirts attached.

"The black one. It's January, why do you need a bathing suit?" Tenten asked as she watched her roommate put the bathing suit into her bag.

"I don't know, Kisame just told me to bring one." Sachiko replied as she checked her bag over. "Well, I'm all set. I'll see you later!" They hugged and Sachiko was already in the hall when Tenten poked her head out the door.

"You better text me when you get to the bus stop!"

"Yes mother!" Sachiko laughed as she opened the door to the stairs.

They lived on the third floor of the only all girls dorm on campus, close to campus security and a few minutes' walk from the campus shuttle. Sachiko walked past several buildings she had classes in, the library, the Starbucks she and Kisame had met in, two parking garages and a dining hall before coming to the shuttle pick up area. To the left of a bench was a small kiosk that housed the ticket machine. As a student she didn't have to pay for her ticket but she still had to scan her ID to be able to get a pass. This was a security measure the campus had installed several years ago when several other universities were noticing a rise in campus related crimes. There was a big blue button next to the kiosk, and another on the bus shuttle stop sign that would call campus security as well. She didn't have to take the shuttle back, but she did have to scan her ID to get back into her dorm, therefore her whereabouts could still be accounted for. This was one of the reasons Sachiko had applied to Konoha, and the only reason her father allowed her to attend. They took security and student safety seriously. No, if General Nekozawa had his way; his child, whom was the spitting image of his late wife, would be attending school on the military base where they lived.

Sachiko sent her promised text to Tenten and it was another ten minutes before the green and red colors of the Konoha Student Shuttle bus came into view. She took an extra moment to confirm the stop she needed to get off on before boarding the shuttle. The closest stop to the aquarium was just outside the bay area; from there she would have to walk a few blocks to reach her destination. Twelve stops, she reminded herself as she boarded. Sachiko smiled to the driver as she handed him her ticket and began scouting for a seat on the slightly crowded bus. Weekend rides were always crowded as students who didn't have cars had to get their weekly supplies. Sachiko felt so grateful for Lee in this instance. Gai-sensei sold Lee his old car a couple years ago and the three of them did their grocery shopping together ever since, with the stipulation that the three of them split the cost of his parking pass each year.

Sachiko made herself comfortable in a seat towards the back and listened to music while fiddling with her phone to keep occupied. She kept one headphone bud in her ear and tucked the other into her jacket out of the way. Her father drilled into her head to always be aware of her surroundings over the years, among other things. Sachiko looked out the window and wondered how this date was going to go with a gentle smile and as she did the city flew past, a labyrinth of life and concrete flowing all together in vibrant harmony. As the stops dwindled and her heart kicked up its tempo she began typing a message.

 **[Sachiko] On the shuttle, see you soon =)**

It was ten thirty before Sachiko's stop finally came into sight. Gathering her stuff, Sachiko checked to make sure she had everything and stepped off the shuttle. As she left she was sure to tell the driver that she hoped he had a great day. Stepping onto the sidewalk she was startled when she saw Kisame standing next to the bus stop sign. He grinned at her and handed her a large Starbucks cup.

"Good morning. I think this is what you ordered last time." He greeted her. She took a sip and hummed her appreciation.

"This is so good, thank you!" Sachiko smiled up at him as they began walking to the bay. She tried to keep conversation flowing with Kisame but it was difficult when he cut through the crowd like a ship through water and she was tossed around in the tide. Seeing her struggle, Kisame wrapped his arm around her slight frame and brought her into him.

"I almost lost you there". Kisame joked as he grinned down to her. His smile was infectious and Sachiko found herself grinning up at him, equal parts embarrassed and impressed. She could feel through their jackets that he had muscles to spare.

"It seems like you're my hero yet again, Kisame." She praised him and could have sworn his cheeks colored just slightly. From there they chit chatted the rest of the way to the aquarium, Kisame told her of the exhibits that he was most excited to see and she confessed that she didn't do too much reading on what was instore for them so as to not ruin the wonder and surprise but was impressed on what she saw on the animal rehabilitation program. This led to a rather excited discussion about animals in the wild versus captivity.

"You're really knowledgeable, why you didn't enroll in KU's marine biology program?" Kisame inquired as they came to the doors of The Greater Konoha Aquarium.

"I really love animals, and I love documentaries and everything, but, this sounds silly saying it out loud. Computers and other tech just kinda speak to me, you know? I love the challenge of figuring them out." She admitted.

"No, I totally get it. That's how I feel when I get in the water, it just kind of, I dunno, fits." Kisame looked around the room, avoiding eye contact for a moment as he gathered his wits. "Stay here for a sec, okay?" He asked. Sachiko nodded and watched him walk to the desk. Realizing that she really didn't want to be interrupted during her date she reached for her phone to silence it. Pulling it out of her bag, Sachiko saw a text from Lee.

 **[Lee] IS HE BEING A GENTLEMAN?! ARE YOU HAVING A GOOD TIME?! IT IS NOT UNYOUTHFUL IF YOU NEED US TO COME GET YOU. JUS**

The message was cut off.

 **[Lee] This is Tenten, I have confiscated Lee's phone so he doesn't blow yours up. An update every once in a while would be nice. See you when you come home.**

Sachiko laughed softly and replied.

 **[Sachiko] he's being a perfect gentleman. He met me at the bus stop and had a latte waiting for me. I'm silencing my phone, movie night when I get home? Tell Lee I said thank you for being such a great friend, have a great day!**

She smiled as she slipped the now silenced phone into her bag.

"Everything okay?" Kisame questioned as he walked back to her.

"Yep! Just my roommate. So where shall we start?"

Thus began a fun afternoon of touring the tanks, pointing out different fish and marveling at the graceful way they moved. They took turns reading the information cards to each other as they made their way to the main tank.

"Look at that beauty. I was so excited when I found out about this guy. There aren't many in captivity because they're hard to take care of." Kisame said as he gazed up at a truly enormous shark.

"That's a whale shark!" Sachiko exclaimed in wonder.

"Yeah, we should come back later when the animals have acclimated more; there has been talk about a swimming experience in the main tank." Kisame tore his eyes away from the shark to look down at her. "Ready for the reason for the bathing suit?" he asked and she nodded.

"Yep, I was pretty stumped when you said to bring it." Sachiko told him as he took her hand.

"This way." Kisame took her to the elevator and pressed the bottom button. He then covered her eyes. She was just getting used to the warmth of his hand on her face, and feeling the gentle movement of her hair from his even breaths. The elevator dinged and Kisame slowly led her out, treating her like delicate finery with his every movement. Sachiko's senses were met with the sound of water and smell of the ocean and it was another savored moment before he uncovered her eyes and whispered in her ear. "Surprise."

They were in the area of aquarium that backed the water. Sachiko looked all around the room, seeing dolphins swimming in a large pool on one side of the room, a beluga whale in another pool, and another pool on the far side of the room she could not identify.

"Kisame, are we allowed to be here?" She inquired in amazement.

"I pulled some strings. C'mon, we're going to get to feed and swim with the dolphins." He took her hand again and led her to the locker rooms. An older man met them and greeted Kisame with a firm hand shake.

"You two go get changed and then we'll grab the wetsuits." He said, and then turned to Sachiko. "I'd put your hair up girlie, it is still January, it won't do you any good walking around with wet hair."

Swimming with dolphins was just as fun as it sounds. The dolphins were playful, swimming around them, splashing occasionally, and were very excited when Kisame swam over to the edge of the pool and got a bucket of fish. Kisame tossed fish to the dolphins and Sachiko laughed at their antics, watching them glide through the water and do flips to put on a small show for the couple. Once all the fish were gone the dolphins began swimming around them again, slowly pushing them together until Kisame held Sachiko in his arms. She smiled up at him and he returned it with a toothy grin of his own. She shivered, from the prolonged time in the cold water, or the warmth of Kisame's arms around her she didn't know.

"Ready to get out?" He asked her as he pulled her closer and rubbed his hands up and down her arms before taking a hand and blowing on her fingertips. Sachiko nodded and he pulled her to ladder before helping her out. Kisame grabbed them both towels, going the extra step to wrap hers around her shoulders before they began the walk to the changing rooms again, his hand never leaving hers which caused the butterflies in her stomach to warm her from the inside out.

After changing back into their clothes the two of them explored the rest of the aquarium, especially enjoying the petting pool. Sachiko giggled as the rays tickled her fingers. The feeling of their smooth bodies was unlike anything else she had ever felt. Between the petting pool and the penguins, she wasn't really sure what her favorite part of the actual aquarium was. Of course swimming with the dolphins was her favorite part of the day so far, right before the feeling of Kisame's hand in hers. It was a tossup really if she was being honest with herself. She mused quietly as they made their way back to the entrance of aquarium that this was the most fun she had ever had on a date.

"Are you hungry?" Kisame inquired as he broke their comfortable silence. Sachiko's stomach growled in answer and her cheeks turned to a rosy shade of pink. Kisame laughed and they darkened even more. "Glad I'm not the only one. I know a great pizza place around here, is that okay with you?"

"I love pizza." She replied. And it was true; she seemed to split a pizza with Tenten every other week. Kisame just smiled and wrapped his arm around her as they walked to the door. Sachiko was surprised to see that the sky was beginning to darken. Just how long had they been in the aquarium?

They walked for about ten minutes before reaching a small mom and pop Italian place. On the way they had deciding on half meat lovers and half cheese. They sat down with their drinks, blue Gatorade for Kisame and an orange Fanta for Sachiko, as they discussed varying topics such as family and their classes. It was interesting to know that they were both only children. Kisame was very close to his two cousins while Sachiko explained that she didn't know her extended family very well because she had moved around a lot due to her father's job. The conversation continued while they ate but was paused when she giggled at the tomato sauce on Kisame's cheek. He retaliated by swiping his finger across the offending stain and bopping her nose with said digit.

In all, dinner was very enjoyable, their continued communication throughout the week making them more comfortable with each other to the point where there wasn't that lull of awkward first date talk. It was almost as enjoyable as being encompassed in Kisame's warmth as he drew her back into his side as they walked back to the shuttle station.

"It's been such a great day, I'd hate for it to be messed up by losing you in the crowds now." He offered his unneeded explanation. Sachiko just shrugged.

"Plus, you're really warm." She said and smiled up at him while leaning closer. He was really warm and she was grateful as her jacket, while cute wasn't the warmest thing she owned. They walked in silence after that, seemingly in a happy bubble; only for that happy bubble to pop as they got within sight of the shuttle stop to see it pulling away from the curb.

"Oh no!" Sachiko groaned. "I'll have to catch the next one."

"What time is it? I'll wait for the next one with you." Kisame pulled out his phone and cursed.

"What's the matter?" She questioned.

"It's just past six; that was the last shuttle. Shit. I'm sorry Sachiko; I should have kept an eye on the time. Listen, it's dark and I'm parked right around the corner. Can I drive you back to campus?" Kisame asked her as he ran his hand into his hair. His face was contorted in clear frustration, obviously angry with himself.

"Would you? I'm sorry Kisame, I was the one who should have been keeping track of the time, but we were having so much fun!" She touched his arm to show her sincerity that she didn't blame him for the situation they were in. He took her hand and led her to the parking garage he'd left his truck in. He walked them to a large blue truck and she just stared at it wondering how the heck she was going to get into the cab. It must have been written all over her face because Kisame laughed.

"Need a lift, shorty?" He chortled.

"I'm at a perfectly average height, it's not my fault you're the size of a tree." She sassed back before sighing. "Please?"

Kisame laughed before opening the door to the passenger side and lifting her by the waist carefully into the seat. Sachiko felt the tingles rush up and down her spine at being handled so carefully by this man. He was full of contradictions and she found herself liking him even more with every moment they spent together. He was huge but made her feel delicate and cared for all day. His face wasn't the conventional definition of handsome but he was the sweetest guy she had ever been on a date with. He was considerate and made sure she was having a good time. That's not to say he wasn't handsome to her though, Sachiko thought he was very handsome, she had never been much for pretty boys anyway.

Sachiko pulled out her phone and sent a text to Tenten as Kisame rounded the front of the truck.

 **[Sachiko] Missed the shuttle, Kisame is dropping me off.**

He got in and started up the truck and they both relished in the blast of heat that came through the dash before the Country Music Top 40 came on the radio and Sachiko smiled happily.

"I love this song!" she exclaimed as she began to hum along. What she missed was Kisame's pleased smile as she turned to grab her seatbelt.

"It's a good song; I'm liking his new album." Kisame replied as he turned the radio down a few notches. "Where would you like me to drop you off?"

"Um, the parking garage next to The Bistro, if that's okay with you?" Sachiko offered.

"If that's what you want. Might want to text that roommate of yours." And with that they were on the road back to school. Sachiko did let Tenten know where she'd be and got the confirmation that she would meet her in the garage so they could walk together. She and Lee were picking up supplies for their movie night and would be getting back about the same time anyway.

"She's going to meet me there, she and another friend of ours are going to watch a movie and they're getting supplies." Sachiko said with a smile. The rest of the ride back to school was filled with a comfortable almost – silence as she would randomly catch herself hum along to the radio and Kisame would tap the steering wheel to the beat. The city was a whirl of lights as they passed by, illuminating their faces every few seconds as they made their way closer to their destination. Before they were ready, Kisame pulled into the parking garage and put the truck in park.

"Uh, I know the night didn't exactly end as planned, but would you want to do this again sometime?" Kisame inquired as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"I had a great time! I'd love to do this again." Sachiko assured him. Her phone buzzed in her hand and a quick peek showed that her friends were here.

"I'll text you?" He meant to make it sound more like a statement than a question.

"I'd like that." She replied. Gathering her courage, Sachiko leaned over the center console and planted a quick kiss to his cheek before gathering her stuff and literally hopping from his truck. She walked quickly to the door where Tenten and Lee were waiting and paused in the doorway of the exit to wave at him. She linked arms with Tenten as they began the walk down the sidewalk.

"Did you have a good time? Was he a gentleman? You didn't text us!" Lee was almost frantic with his questioning.

"Yes, and yes. He's great! I'll tell you all about it over ice cream. What movie did you guys pick?" Sachiko's smile could stop traffic.

"It's Lee's turn to pick, so we'll be watching This Means War, again." Tenten sighed. This caused Lee to defend his current favorite romantic comedy all the way to the lounge on the third floor where they claimed the TV for themselves. Not many people stayed in on a Saturday night, so they usually got to use the larger room for their movie nights. Tenten and Sachiko grabbed all the pillows and blankets from their room and the three friends made them cozy as Sachiko told them all about her date as the movie played. She was just about to reach for her pint of ice cream when her phone went off, causing Lee to shush the device.

"No phones during movie night!" he scolded.

"Just a peak?" Sachiko begged. Lee nodded and she pressed the home button to illuminate the screen.

 **[Kisame] Sweet dreams.**

Sachiko sighed dreamily and fell back against the pillows.

"I hope this works out. I really like him you guys."


	3. Mother Knows Best

**Unfortunately, I do not own Naruto. The song referenced in this chapter is "Already Calling You Mine" by Parmalee**

* * *

Sunday January 17th, 2016

11:30 AM

Kisame Hoshigaki was a mama's boy. As an only child whose father was building his business empire during the early years of his life, Kisame spent a lot of time with his mother growing up. His mother, unlike the mothers of his friends had come from a more humble background and thus didn't rely on nannies or housekeepers to raise her son; as such they were very close. So close in fact, that Kisame had gone home to spend time with his mother every Sunday without fail since he moved out. That's not to say that he didn't go home more often than that, but Sundays for the Hoshigaki family were special mother son days and had been for almost his entire life. When he was young they were dedicated to special trips or outings, and now that he was older he treated his mom to lunch, maybe some time out on the town, or a simple afternoon at home just catching up before the small family ate dinner together. It wasn't that Kisame didn't have a good relationship with his father, he was supportive in his own way, talked to him about girls and whatnot, and they shared a love of marine life.

It was almost noon when Kisame pulled through the gate and up the driveway of his parent's home, stomach growling as the smell of garlic chicken Alfredo, and chicken and shrimp carbonara filled his car. He'd stopped by his mother's favorite Italian place just as it was opening and put in their usual order, he'd even gotten extra soup, breadsticks and desserts because his spirits were so high. His date, minus a small hiccup (which turned out really good for him, he'd gotten a very nice shock at the kiss Sachiko had given him before running off to her roommate) had been, as cheesy as it sounds, the best date he'd ever been on. He was humming the same catchy song non stop since he dropped Sachiko off, the same song that came on as she shut the door of his truck. It was like the radio had read his soul, giving him exactly what he needed.

"I'm already thinking 'bout you and me getting out of here and taking a drive," Kisame sung under his breath as he walked up to the door. Kisame had been too busy watching Sachiko walk away with her friends out of the garage, and was glad he did because he got to see her turn and wave, but between watching her and his thoughts the idea of actually looking to see what the song was completely slipped his mind. He was kicking himself for half an hour as he flipped through his presets trying to find it again. The song was quickly purchased, and the ring tone was still tempting him. He resisted though, reminding himself that Sachiko wasn't his girlfriend (yet) and so her messages were given their own ringtone, specific to her, but from the provided tones that came with his phone.

Just as he was reaching for the handle the door opened.

"Hi Pumpkin! Come in, come in, it's cold!"

"Ma, I'm in Graduate School, I haven't been a Pumpkin for a while," Kisame groused good-naturedly as he walked through the door and placed a kiss on his mother's cheek. Aiko Hoshigaki was a short woman compared to her son and husband but in reality was five foot eight, and while she didn't pass height onto her son, she did pass on her eyes and work ethic. She had been working as an assistant to an accountant while trying to put herself through pastry school when she met Kisame's father. Her face was kind and the beginnings of laugh lines were beginning to show.

"You'll always be Pumpkin, baby, no matter if you're three or three hundred," His mother sassed, taking a bag and walking with him to the dining room. Kisame began taking the food out and his mother went to get silverware, unaware that he'd been humming. "You're in a good mood," His mother chimed from behind him.

"I had a good day yesterday Ma. How have you been?"

"I'm good, how was your date?" his mother inquired, buzzing with excitement. Kisame stopped what he was doing, take out container still in his hand as it hovered just above the table.

"How did you know I went on a date yesterday?" Kisame mentally backtracked, he was sure he didn't tell his mother about it, and no one that they saw yesterday would have told her about it. Kisame purposely didn't mention the date as to not get his or his overzealous mother's hopes up. A sly grin stretched across her face, looking much like the cat who got the canary.

"I couldn't reach you on your cell last night, so I called your apartment and you would not _believe_ what Itachi-chan told me! He told me that my _wonderful_ , ONLY child went on a date, and didn't tell me, his _mother_ about it!" The look on her face wasn't just of the cat that got the canary, but the cream too.

 _Itachi, you little weasel_ , Kisame mentally cussed his roommate five ways to Sunday.

"I was a first date, Ma, didn't want to get either of our hopes up." Kisame explained as he sat down. His mother was practically vibrating as the next in what was sure to be a long series of questions tumbled out her mouth.

"Well, did it go well?" she asked, but her question was followed by a high pitched squeal as he nodded before she could even finish asking. Kisame pushed a finger into his ear and shook it, trying to dispel the ringing. "Tell me EVERYTHING, Kisame, and I mean everything!"

And so he did. He spilled his guts like a bunch of preteen girls on a sleep over.

"Ma, I thought the whole night was screwed when we got to the bus stop and it was pulling away. Why the hell doesn't the University have later buses? Anyway, I drove her to a parking garage on campus and her roommate and a friend met her there." Kisame cleared his throat, a slight blush dusting his cheeks. "She kissed my cheek before hopping out of the truck." By this time they were making their way through dessert and he was staring intently down at…whatever this chocolate thing was. A calculating and protective look flashed across his mother's face.

"You really like this girl, don't you? She sounds nice," She stated as she took a bite of her own dessert.

"She's great, we talk just about every day, I want to ask her out again, but our first date was yesterday and I don't want to come off as pushy." He ran a hand through his hair. "She has no idea about Mist, about what dad does. I get to be a normal guy with her Ma, and I love it, but what if I screw up? She didn't even know I was on the swim team." Kisame poured his heart out, sending a hopeless glance to his phone. However his phone, being an inanimate object didn't feel obliged to answer his silent prayer and stayed silent from its spot next to his plate. At his admission the protectiveness receded from his mother's eyes.

"So how did you two meet?" she questioned, face softening with the realization that her baby just might be in love, well, maybe not love, but there was definitely a shine to her son that wasn't there before. And so she listened to the tale, scoffing at Sasuke's rudeness and nodding proudly at her son's insistence of replacing the girl's drink after chuckling at his clumsiness at knocking it to the floor in the first place.

"It took a bit for her to finally warm up to me and tell me what was really wrong, because no one could really get THAT upset over coffee, right? Turns out she was stood up. Can you believe it Ma; some idiot actually stood her up!" Kisame exclaimed angrily before going on to tell her about how they sat and talked before Sachiko had to run to class. As Kisame talked and talked his mother relaxed more and more. Sure, she was going to have a full background check done, but Kisame didn't need to know that.

"You should ask her to come to your swim meet, your father and I won't be able to make it because of a charity event, so it would be nice to have someone there to cheer you on, huh?" At his nod she pressed on. "Ask her NOW, Kisame." She sent him an indulgent smile that let him know this wasn't something she was going to let go. Grudgingly Kisame unlocked his phone and began to type.

 **[Kisame] Hey, if you aren't doing anything next Saturday, would you like to come to my Swim Meet? It's at 1.**

He and his mother stared at the phone like a bomb about to go off in their faces. Her customized chime went off much quicker than expected.

 **[Sachiko] I'd love to!**

However, before Kisame could text her back, his phone was snatched from his hand and his mother danced out of reach, typing as she went. "And send!" she exclaimed.

 **[Kisame] I could tell you about it over lunch?**

Kisame went as pale as a ghost.

"Ma, what did you just do? Mom, mother, please give me my phone. What did you do?" Kisame tried getting his phone, but wouldn't be able to unless he grabbed his mom first, and grown man or not, he would get his ass beat if he ever man handled his mother, joking around or not. Kisame knew he was a big man and could very easily hurt someone if he wasn't careful. He froze, still as a statue when his phone chimed again. Grinning, his mother read aloud.

 **[Sachiko] Sounds great =) Does Tuesday work for you? I promised Tenten we'd get sushi tomorrow.**

"Sounds great. Oh look she put a smiley face honey, and she uses the equals sign when she makes it, that's cute. Does Tuesday work for you? I promised Tenten we'd get sushi tomorrow. Who's Tenten?" Still grinning she fought the urge to read over their previous texts; though she did spy the goodnight texts they sent each other.

"Tenten is her roommate. What sounds great, what did you say? Mother give me my phone please." Kisame would later deny that the sound that just left his mouth was a whine; it was not a whine, just a desperate request from an exasperated son to a meddling mother.

"Your lovely mother just got you a lunch date for Tuesday; oh I can't wait to tell your father! Have you told Zabuza and Haku about her?" She was very proud of herself when she finally handed his phone back to him.

"No Way! Zabuza would have spent every swim practice giving shitty-"

"Kisame, language!"

"-sorry Ma, bad advice, and Haku, has Haku even been on a date?" Kisame pondered his own question for a moment.

"Well, Zabuza probably isn't the best guy to go to for dating advice. I love your cousin but he goes through girlfriends like tissues. As for poor Haku, it's been a while, Zabuza scares off every boy he brings home." She tutted softly and shook her head. Kisame might be an only child, but he and his two cousins were as close as any brothers could be. Zabuza and Haku were the sons of Kisame's uncle, Zabuza being only a year old than Kisame, and Haku being two years younger. While his uncle was older, and had a different father and last name, the Momochi and Hoshigaki families were as close as could be and would continue to be through the generations.

The cousins had been in swimming programs together as far back as any of them could remember and worked well as a team. Their closeness had some drawbacks though. Kisame, and especially Zabuza were very protective of Haku, first because he took after his delicate mother, then later their protectiveness skyrocketed when he came out as gay. Zabuza had even been suspended from school at one point for putting a bully in his place. There was no one more precious to Zabuza than Haku, and he wasn't about to let anyone say a bad word about him or hand his innocent baby brother to just anyone who showed interest. No, Zabuza had very high standards for any would be suitor to fill when it came to his brother, though no real standards to speak of when it came to himself.

The rest of the visit consisted of the two of them sharing dessert and his mother giving unwanted dating advice on top of their normal weekly catch up. Kisame considered the events of the day over and over as he began the journey back to his apartment. If not for Itachi and his mother, he might not have gotten the courage to ask Sachiko out until the next time he saw her, and who knows when that would have been? Now not only was he seeing her on Tuesday but she was also coming to his swim meet. Figuring that it was only fair to treat his roommate, Kisame stopped at a little hole in the wall sweet shop by the police station. If Itachi was to be believed they supposedly made the best dango in the entire city, and when it came to dango he really was an expert. He acquired two sticks of the tricolored confections before continuing on. Itachi was looking over some files at the kitchen table when he got home.

"Hey tattle-tale," Kisame called out to him as he kicked his shoes off and hung his jacket on his hook. Itachi didn't even look up from whatever he was working on.

"Hn. Answer your phone next time." Itachi turned a page and squinted at the text.

"Who pissed in your morning tea? And wear your glasses, squinting is bad for your eyes." That got him what he called Itachi's trademark "I don't have time for your shit" look.

"You aren't my Oka-san Kisame. "

"You don't know where your glasses are, do you?"

"Hn." Nope, Itachi didn't know.

"They're in the medicine cabinet. But because of that attitude I'll just have to eat these myself." Kisame gave a grin, all teeth and pulled that take out bag from behind his back.

"Are those-"

"Yes, they are from that place you like," Kisame answered him before the question was even finished and Itachi's eyes followed the bag like a bloodhound on a scent. Kisame really shouldn't have so much fun teasing Itachi, but there were so few things the Uchiha got truly worked up about. No, only someone with a death wish would get between Itachi Uchiha and sweets. Kisame watched Itachi gather his things and go to his room, making a pit-stop at the bathroom to grab his glasses. He knew that Itachi would not emerge from his room until he was finished with whatever work he was doing when Kisame came home.

* * *

Sunday January 17th, 2016

10:30 PM

Itachi Uchiha rubbed under his eyes, tired but satisfied that he was finished reviewing the cases his father had him look over. He'd make his family proud, but the weight of being an Uchiha prodigy was getting heavier by the day. The harder he worked, the better of a life Sasuke got, but Itachi was starting to consider that maybe he spoiled his precious otouto a little too much. The elders were shifting the focus of their pressures lately, he'd proven he could live up to their expectations both professionally and academically so their focus was shifting to his personal life. Resigning himself that this was just too much to think about right now, Itachi poured the hot water for his evening tea and opened the fridge to get the milk. There, sitting innocently on the top shelf was the same bag from earlier, but now it had a note stapled to the front. Reaching out he plucked the note with nimble fingers. Written in Kisame's neat script was the following message.

 ** _Got another date Tuesday, so thanks, Weasel._**

 ** _They're all yours._**

Opening the bag, Itachi looked upon the two perfect sticks of dango with the same fondness that a mother looked upon her newborn child.

THIS was why Kisame was his best friend.


End file.
